| Latin Name | Observation date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Entylia carinata | August 10 2026 | Central Aceh Regency,Aceh, Indonesia |
This is a truly remarkable photograph, as it captures a mutualistic symbiotic relationship between two insect species: aphids and ants. At first glance, I thought the insects were fighting, but upon closer inspection, they appeared quite friendly. Curious, I searched for information online and discovered that this is known as a mutualistic symbiotic relationship—an interaction where both parties benefit. Let’s look at the benefits for each: the ants obtain a free food source in the form of a sweet fluid secreted by the aphids, while the aphids gain several advantages, most notably protection from predators, as the ants constantly swarm the area. I took this photo using a macro lens, allowing every detail of both insects to be clearly visible.
What surprised me a bit was discovering that the aphids could fly; this forced me to start my research all over again—were they aphids or planthoppers?
There was a downside, though: I found both types of insects on the mango tree in front of my house,I am not at all worried about the presence of the ants, but I am a little worried about the presence of the aphids.
Alright everyone, I’m going to share some photos of these ants and aphids here.
| Camera Used | poco c65 |
|---|---|
| Lens | MM |
| F-stop | |
| Iso speed | ISO |
| Focal length | MM |
| Photography | Entylia carinata |
| Photographer | @maxmarvin |
| Link to original | community |
|---|---|
| Link | https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/389616489 |
| Latitude | Longitude | Map |
|---|---|---|
| 5.1575435 | 96.6279279 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=5.1575435131&mlon=96.6279279408#map=12/5.1575/96.6278 |
